Daytona native Smith, Falcons 1 win away from Super Bowl

Atlanta Falcons head coach and Daytona Beach native Mike Smith is nearing the ultimate destination on a course he reluctantly began as a senior at Father Lopez High School in 1976.

RANDY RORRERCORRESPONDENT

Atlanta Falcons head coach and Daytona Beach native Mike Smith is nearing the ultimate destination on a course he reluctantly began as a senior at Father Lopez High School in 1976. Smith, who graduated from Lopez in 1977, broke his arm while playing his senior year for the Green Wave. Instead of cursing his luck and lounging around the house to heal, Smith chose to explore other football-related options. He asked the Father Lopez coaching staff if he could assist them, and the coaching staff complied. Smith spent many days after practice that year in the film room with the Green Wave coaching staff. The broken arm limited his options when it came to attracting college football recruiters, but it opened the door to new opportunities. Sunday, his Falcons will play the San Francisco 49ers for a chance to play in football's ultimate game — the Super Bowl. "It was our second game of the year, and we were playing Pierson Taylor," said David Russell, who is an attorney in Daytona Beach and has been Smith's best friend since they were in kindergarten. "He went down early in the game, and it brought tears to my eyes because I knew how much football meant to him," said Russell, who was the Green Wave quarterback. "I went on to have my best game of the year, because I was so mad about what they had done to him and I wanted to make them pay for it. "Mike had been an All-State linebacker as a junior, and if he was going to go to college it was going to be on a football scholarship. That really had a big impact on his prospects. A lot of guys would have been upset and sulked. Mike was at every practice after that and at every game. He spent hours in the film room, trying to help the team any way he could." That team-first attitude and work ethic has served Smith well ever since. Smith earned a football scholarship at East Tennessee State University, and he was a two-time defensive MVP during his career there. When he didn't make the final cut in the Canadian Football League after his college playing career, he turned back to coaching. "He drove from Canada across the country to San Diego State University in an old Volkswagen bug with no air conditioning," said Sam Smith, Mike's father and former local football coach. "I asked him how he made it all that way without air conditioning, and he said he just took off his shirt and wore shorts." Smith joined the staff at San Diego State as a volunteer assistant and took a job working as a security guard at night. "He worked doing security at night, and he coached during the day," Sam Smith said. "One of his college coaches got a job out there, and he invited Mike to join them. It wasn't long before one of the other coaches left and he was put on as a paid assistant." Smith made the most of his opportunity once he got his foot in the door. In an auspicious turn of fate, Smith worked with former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick on the San Diego State staff. That relationship benefited Smith both personally and professionally. Smith's wife, Julie, is the sister of Billick's wife. On a professional level, Billick brought Smith onto his Ravens' coaching staff in 1999. "He has been successful everywhere he has been," Russell said. "I follow sports closely, and I follow everything concerning the Falcons extremely close and Mike doesn't seem to get the attention or respect he deserves. I guess that's because he's not really flashy, and he's not a self-promoter. "Mike's parents instilled great character in him. His dad used to tell him, 'Other players may be bigger than you. They may be smarter than you, and they may be faster than you. One thing you can control is that you can always outwork them.' I think that has served him well everywhere he has gone." Smith is in his fifth season running the show in Atlanta. His record during that span is 57-24. The only head coach in the NFL who has a better winning percentage during that span is New England's Bill Belichick. Both Russell and Sam Smith will be in Atlanta for the big showdown. They're both hoping to join Mike Smith at another Super Bowl. Sam Smith took his son to his first Super Bowl in 1969, when the Jets upset the Colts 16-7 to win the Super Bowl III title. Both Russell and Sam Smith were in Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV, when the Ravens defeated the New York Giants. Smith, who was a quality control coach for the Ravens defense, earned a Super Bowl ring. "My son (also named David) and I had a great week," Russell said. "We got to hang out at the team hotel and go to the team after-party. We got a picture taken holding the Vince Lombardi trophy." Sam Smith said the oldest of his eight children has always made him proud, but he'll never forget one particular moment of Mike Smith's coaching career. "I had just gotten out of surgery to have my gallbladder removed, when he called me to tell me the Falcons were going to offer him the head coaching job," the father said. "That sure made me feel a lot better in a hurry." Sam Smith said he'd be happy if his son can mark another special occasion this year. "I'm 74 years old. I'll turn 75 on February 2," Sam Smith said. The Super Bowl is Feb. 3, and Sam Smith said he'd be happy to celebrate his birthday weekend in New Orleans by watching his son lead the Atlanta Falcons out of the tunnel at Super Bowl XLVII.